Pasta with Spiced Beef, Caramelized Onions and Herbed Yogurt

Khingal is a traditional noodle dish from Azerbaijan. There are two main types: the brothy sulu khingal, made with lamb meat and chickpeas, and guru khingal, which inspired this recipe. The comforting dish features pasta layered with fried ground meat and garlicky, herb-flecked yogurt. Guru khingal typically is prepared with ground lamb, but we use beef and caramelized onions to lend silky sweetness to the sauce. The dish traditionally includes homemade noodles cut into diamond shapes, but for ease, we swap in dried pappardelle that we break into shorter lengths. Keep a close eye on the onions so they don’t brown too quickly; reduce the heat if needed and add a tablespoon of water to slow down the browning.